Fold line in wearing apparel



Dec. 29, 1936. BWLIEBOWITZ 2,066,293 FOLD LINE IN WEARING APPAREL Filed July 5, 1955 2% f' s mv 21 I INVENTOR.

:21 22 15 fiely'amin Lz'ebowz't; 22

ATTORNEY.

A g- I Patented Dec. 29, 1936 V oF ie l'lN wnanme "ABEL Trubenizing Process Corporation, N. Y., a corporation of New York New York,

Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,817

My invention relates to apparel, and particularly to such garments or garment parts which are stiffened by the adhesive union of a plurality of plies, and which have a fold or fold line where 5 the garment is folded over. A particular application of this invention is to collars of the foldover of turn-down type, such as is described in my Patents Numbers 1,968,409 and 1,968,410, where the separate plies of the collar are permanently united by adhesive means.

In these patents, I have described collar or other articles of apparel in which the adhesive material is incorporated in the lining in a dry state, and said lining is then interposed between an outside ply and an inside ply, or, as referred to hereinafter, between a top ply and a bottom ply. Adhesion is developed by subjecting the assembly to the action of a softening agent or solvent, and then pressure with heat to evaporate 20 the solvent. After the adhesion is obtained, the resulting three plies have a considerable degree of stiffness, even after many launderings. Because of this stifiness, special provision is desirable in the fold zone where the garment part is folded over.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to obtain predetermined fold lines in the case of permanently stiffened articles of apparel by weakening the zone of the fold line by elimination of the adhe- 30 sive material. This creates a soft zone along which the article will readily fold. For example, the patent to Van Heusen, Number 1,479,565, dated. January 1, 1924, and the patent to Tully, Number 1,668,744, dated May 8, 1928, disclose adhesive material completely omitted in a narrow zone along the fold line, and said narrow zone in the case of a collar extends the complete length of the collar top. In my own Patents Numbers 1,968,409 and 1,968,410 I disclose how 4 a fold line may be obtained by stopping the lining of the collar top before it enters into the band so as to leave a residuum of two uncemented plies of the collar top where it enters the band, and also along the narrow zone ad- V 45 jacent to the band.

These methods of providing a very soft fold line by omission of adhesive material or of lining containing the adhesive material along said fold line or adjacent to said fold line, have im- 50 portant disadvantages. In the first place, manufacturing tolerances required for maintenance of a uniform width of said soft zone, are so close that I have heretofore found it impracticable to put such methods into commercial operation; the results which I have been able to obtain far by this method, using competent operatives, and competent cutting and stitching technique, have been unsatisfactory because of the variable Width of said softened zone. Furthermore, a completely softened zone adjacentv to a stiff zone 5 is open to the objection thatit creates a zone of mechanical weakness due to the abrupt change in'stifi'ness at the boundary between the stiffened material and the very soft material forming the zone for the fold line. In many instances, this results in rapid wear at the fold line.

Also, where the region of the fold line is very soft compared with the regions adjacent to the fold line, I have found that one does not get a smooth curve in the collar after it is folded down and bent around to conform with the neck, at least in some cases depending upon the variations in width of said fold line. Moreover, in these previous forms of fold line, the fold line has extended practically the full length of the collar top and has conformed exactly to the curve of the band of saidcollar. 1 have found it desirable, however, for reasons which will be clear to those skilled in the art, to have a predetermined fold line which will stop short of the ends of the collar by at least one or two. inches, and which may be perfectly straight, or in any event, less curved than the edge of the band adjacent to the collar top.

I have discovered through experiments on fold lines that a more satisfactory fold is obtained when the fold line itself, while more flexible than the regions adjacent to the fold line, is not dead soft. In other words, a certain amount of stiffness in the fold line itself is desirable, but this stiffness must be substantially less than the stiffness of the part of the collar top adjacent to the fold line.

It is an object of this invention to provide in an article of apparel a fold line which shall be permanent, which shall create a'zone of-relatively increased flexibility, but still having some stiffness, and which shall tend to form a smooth curve after the garment part is turned down along the fold line and bent around into a curve.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fold line of this kind which is simple to apply in commercial production of the articles of apparel and which can be manufactured without requiring impracticable close tolerances.

A further object of this invention is to obtain the desired fold line without eliminating the adhesive material along the fold line, which elimination involves considerable dimculty and expense,

predetermined fold line after being adhesively secured thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide a roll effect at the ends of a folded-over permanently stifiened article of wearing apparel.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for and methods of manufacturing collars and specifically the fold lines thereof.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a process of manufacturing collars which comprises preparing the fold line after the collar has been assembled and after the application of the adhering process.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide. a process of manufacturing apparel in which the fold line is accurately oriented with respect to formed edges of the apparel.

-I accomplish these and other objects, as will hereinafter be brought out, by mechanically separating, after the adhering process, the lining from the bottom external ply of the collar in the zone which forms the fold line,- without eliminating the adhesive material from said zone, leaving the other external ply, viz., the face ply, and the lining ply adhered throughout, thus forming a narrow zone of reduced stiffness, as will hereinafter bedisclosed in connection with the drawing, in

which: I r

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a completed collar with V the predetermined fold line indicated.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a guide in forming the fold line, with the collar in position.

Fig. 3 is the sectional view 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the formation of the predetermined fold line.

Fig. 5 is the sectional view 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective of the completed collar with the predetermined fold line.

Fig. "l. is a view of the collar of Fig. 6 bent over along the fold line. v

Fig. 8 is the probe used in the apparatus for forming, the predetermined fold line.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the apparatus used in forming the predetermined fold line.

Fig. 10 is the sectional view l0ll of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawing: l represents a collar top, the piles of which are adhesively united. The collar-top l is attached to a band 2 and has a zone of increased flexibility indicated at I. A preferred form of this zone is that it shall not extend to the ends of the collar and that it shall have lesscurvature than the edge 21: of the band 2. Referring to Figs.2 and 3, I have shown diagrammatically the collar clamped between an upper block 4 and a lower block 5, block 4 being .provided with a groove I and the block 5 with a corresponding groove I. A probe 8 is entered between the back ply 9 and the lining ply II at the point indicated by l2, approximately at the center of the grooves. These grooves 8 and 1. guide the probe as it is pushed into the collar. The collar is-gauged by the edge of the band, In, being set substantially along the faces of the'blocks, 4 and 5, as indicated in Fig. 5. The probe 8 may have the form indicated in Fig. 8. This probe 8 consists of a long shank 8a having a blunt'point and enlarged head 8b. A convenient diameter for the shank 8a is approximately .030 to .040 inch. The head 8b should be .010 to .020 larger in diameter than the shank.

Referring now to Fig. 3, which is a cross-section on' the line 3-3 of Fig 2, a completed "fused" collar top with its face ply ll, bottom ply or inner ply 0, and lining ply I0, is shown incrosssection clamped between the blocks 4 and I, with their respective grooves, 0 and I. A curved needle I: similar to that used on so-called blind stitch machines is carried in a holder l4 pivoted at II on the block 4, and operated by the extension .or handle II. By rotating the holder 14, the needle is forced into the collar, as indicated, and creates an opening between the inner or bottom ply I and the lining ply II as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3.

The probe I may then be easily entered and pushed along the collar, being guided by the grooves 6 and I, so that ply separation and the resultant increased flexibility comes along a definitely predetermined area. It is very desirable to wet with water the zone where the plies are to be separated, as this makes-it much easier to push the probe along the collar. The adjustment of the needle I! must be very accurate and the collar must be properly supported for this purpose. Accuracy may be facilitated by providing a support, diagrammatically shown at ii, at the time that the needle I3 is penetrating the ply 9. After withdrawal of the needle II the support ll may be dropped out of position so as to expose the groove which guides the probe. Ordinarily, however, a support like If is'notnecessary if the grooves 6 and I are small.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, the shank of the probe to is shown diagrammatically to enlarged dimensions welded to a holder II by means of a small tongue 20 to which is fastened the handle it. The shank la operates in a groove 2| in a long narrow block '22, which groove is covered over by means of pieces 23 and 24 which prevent the shank la. from leaving the groove. and which also guide the holder I I. In this way the shank 8a is guided continuously along its length as it is pushed into the collar.

While I have shown a specific mode of carrying out my invention, it must be understood that this may be departed from without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an article of apparel, a plurality of fabric plies and adhesive means uniting said plies, said adhesive means between at least two of said plies being disrupted along a narrow zone to form a fold line.

2. In an article of apparel, a plurality of fabric plies including a lining ply having adhesive means uniting said plies, said adhesive means between said lining ply and at least one of the other plies being disrupted along a narrow zone to form a fold line.

3. In an article of apparel a pair 'of external fabric plies, and a lining ply comprising spaced thread-formed cellulose derivative adhesive means securing said external plies to the lining ply, said adhesive means between the lining plyand one of the external plies being in a disrupted state along a narrow zone forming a fold line.

4. In a folded garment part of the character aosaaos '5. In a folded garment part of the character described having a predetermined fold line, a front ply, a lining ply, a back ply, and a pre' determined distribution of adhesive material alike at the fold line and adjacent thereto, said front ply being united to said lining ply by said adhesive material at said fold'line and adjacent thereto, said back ply being united to said lining ply by said adhesive material adjacent to said fold line but being free from adhesion thereto at the fold line.

6. In a tum-down collar, a collar top having a predetermined fold line and comprising an outer fabric ply, an inner fabric ply, and an intermediate lining fabric ply, said plies being adhesively united, the adhesion between the inner ply and the lining ply being disrupted along the other, and breaking the adhesion between the lining ply and one of said external plies along a predetermined narrow zone to form a fold line. 9. Theprocess of forming a fold line in'an article of apparel having a plurality of fabric plies adhesively united, which comprises forming an opening in one of the outer plies, inserting a probe in the opening between said ply and the adjacent ply and then separating said plies along the fold line by means of the probe.

10. A process for forming a fold line in an article of apparel having a plurality of fabric plies adhesively united, which comprises inserting a probe between two of the plies and separating said plies along the fold line by means of the probe.

' BENJAMIN LIEBOWI'IZ. 

